Date:         Sun, 21 Nov 1999 17:00:01 -0800
Reply-To:     "T.P. Stephens" <doktortim@ROCKISLAND.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "T.P. Stephens" <doktortim@ROCKISLAND.COM>
Subject:      Re: Wiper/Defroster Relay
In-Reply-To:  <002801bf3481$488403a0$c2a00e3f@oemcomputer>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 04:34 PM 11/21/1999 -0800, you wrote:
I reach under the dash, jiggle the wires connected to
>the relay, and the relay usually clicks and turns everything on.  When I
>stop the engine, I have to make sure I have each switch turned off, because
>the relay isn't shutting off.  Also, when I have been loading the relay
>heavily, such as my drive to work here in the land of liquid sunshine ( both
>fans, defroster, and wipers on) some of the wires feel pretty warm.

Everything you say points to the relay having excessive resistance. Replace
it and don't pile on all consumers till you do. It concerns me that much
heat is present and no fuzes are popping. Make sure you don't have a 25 amp
where a 16 amp should be. That's a good way to fire things up to a big
insurance claim, hopefully with no personal injury involved. Do replace any
and all old fuzes as well, and be sure to use the ceramic bodied originals,
not the cheap aftermarket plastic bodied wannabes.


Doktor Tim
Maintenance Repair and Restoration of European Vehicles
San Juan Island, WA